Never doubt that a small group of foolish citizens that should be committed can screw it up for the rest of us.

Monday, March 1, 2010

March Madness

Repackaging is a gimmick employed by some businesses to make a product look new, fresh and up to date. You redesign the package and reword it but make now apparent change to the product accept downsizing it. Most consumers are readily aware of what has taken place and are savvy enough to realize what is going on. This is exactly what Obama is attempting to do with ObamaCare II. This type of repackaging is laughable.

On the above what is amazing is size shrinkage. Ice cream has gone from 64 ounces to 48 is an example of just one of thousands of products that have been downsized while the price has been increased. Some have even placed emphasis of labeling in metrics in large bold and minimizing Old English measurements in hopes of confusing consumers. Again, laughable.

What is going on with the local override? I see a few letters in the paper but little else. I see nothing on their web site (link on sidebar). There is one informational session scheduled for 3/9 according to the Gazette but little else. Effective override campaigns take months and sometimes multiple tries. This one right now is starting to take on all the images of the illustrious CPA campaign.

I recently booked a flight one way from Denver to San Francisco. After considerable research the lowest fare was $99 for a non stop on Mid West Airlines operated by Frontier Air. You go to the Frontier web site and the same flight has a fare of $129! This is not unusual especially with air fares.

Much is being made lately of flawed research especially in the area of medicine. Researchers tweaking data to allow grants not to dry up. Now the great global warming debate takes on an aura of suspicion with more and more information being released showing the scientific method was virtually non existent. Sounds a lot like some of the “research” that Jessie Powell instituted on behalf of the anti’s to promulgate the casino issue.

With Toyota it comes down to how much they knew and when they knew it. Maybe “Billy Fallon” can enlighten us all on those issues? Anyways, the company is starting to look almost American like in their evasiveness and denial. I saw one Congressman on TV jumping all over their executives and then they flashed his name and the following: D-Michigan! That explains a lot right there.

I have some mixed emotions about the recent changes to credit card laws as a good portion of all the misery is poor personal decision making and financial planning. There are some who have abused the system out of necessity but for most it is based on stupidity. Banks have long seen the cards as a potential cash cow with a variety of fees and escalating merchant charges. Bottom line is if you do not make the minimum payment any new laws have no impact on your situation.

Since I have never had an original thought in my life maybe I should copy Bumpkin and invite guest columnists?

I am still clueless about Facebook.

Those Canadian hockey gals know how to celebrate.

Rotary auction time is coming up. Big chance to clean out your cellar.

"The plan will improve students performance, academically, socially and emotionally" said Assistant Superintendent Theresa Craig on the splitting of grades in the Burkland and Goode schools. She also stated according to the Enterprise that this "Will offer an opportunity to improve MCAS performance because teachers will get a better picture of where curriculum and instruction needs to be improved."

I don't quite know what to make of this? Is there some type of empirical method to support this? Are we all of a sudden going to see less behavior issues, more emotionally stable students and, of course, vastly improved MCAS scores by balancing classrooms between the buildings? I am mystified by how this translates into where teachers will now improve upon instruction and curriculum? I just can't make much sense of this. Color me baffled. Maybe the School Committee can get clarifications?

Jeanie Martin seems like a woman with common sense, and she has expressed some skepticism of the restructuring of the elementary grades. Educational trends also mystify me as they seem to change and do a 180 every 15 years or so. I've always had a problem with standardized tests like MCAS when used as a criteria for judging the quality of student education. So many kids who do well overall in the classroom freak out under the pressure of being judged by mandated super tests. Let's face it---highly motivated kids are going to go on to do well. And MCAS does little to motivate kids. If parents instill the love of life long learning their kids are more likely to value it as well. Conversely, if a kid grows up in a home where they're not challenged and stimulated, their future lacks the same potential. Many teachers have complained to me that at parent/teacher conferences it's usually always the same parents who repeatedly show up....those who are most involved with their kids. The culture of lack of achievement seems to be self perpetuating in this town and others.******************************

Nancy Pelosi is a stubborn, myopic women who's beating a dying horse. Does ahe really think that moderate Dems are going to risk their seats by ignoring the clear mandate of their constituents? Me thinks not. In the end they will do whatever it takes to save their own a$$e$ and protect their self interests. Nobody's going to sacrifice themselves at Pelosi's request. If she thinks otherwise she's deluded. What a fiasco this administration is creating.

Middleboro was once a community of neighborhood schools and that vanished ions ago and we are worse off for it. Now the attempt appears to be some type of more personalized service by this latest reorganization. I am also stunned by how it is determined that improvement will take place. Is it that their will be more communication between the grades? That staff will know students better? Maybe administration will provide some information to the SC.Face it the complex that is Burkland/Goode is a monolithic monstrosity.

I am just amazed that Pelosi continues to make Newt Gingrich seem like the highpoint of Congressional politics of the last 30 years.

I assume the reason Middleboro no longer has neighborhood schools is one of cost. I still see some of the old schools such as the one near Benny's, the one at Titicut Green and the one in Rock Village. There are probably many more that are no longer in use.

At the time all the elementary schools were consolidated - beginning after the fire at the Burkland School and winding up in 1990 - I thought it was a lousy idea to put 1500 elementary level children in a giant complex that has, I believe, a solid mile of corridors. Some of the neighborhood schools were too small to be practical, but there was the West Side School and instead of expanding the Burkland complex we could have built another relatively small neighborhood school. I don't understand how MCAS scores are going to improve by dividing into two 1-5 schools with the same number of teachers, support staff, etc. but I haven't heard the whole argument yet.

my wife - The Lovely Cynthia - has something in common with BB - neither read my blog. But that certainly does not stop her from opinion making.

Cynthia has subbed at both schools this school year and finds the buildings "daunting" with the need for a GPS to get from one point to another. On class changes the traffic is like the X-way in the morning. What has impressed her is that the students are very disciplined on their long and short treks despite the crowded conditions.

Cynthia had always taught in neighborhood schools in Weymouth and found it far more personalized.

Of course a lawyer is going to promote bringing lawsuits. It's his bread and butter, though it's interesting that he's choosing to pursue chronic litigation to side swipe the BoS. A little sour grapes?

I don't know any particulars about the merits of the plowgate case, but the fact that veterans were among the litigants seems irrelevant. I am very grateful to al who serve or have served our country, but they are subject to the same legalities as everyone else. As I recall from the past there were residents of some of these street who fought to keep them unapproved to cut down on traffic. AB is pulling the guilt card for his advantage not the veterans'.

As to his claim that he is not justifying himself: He doth protest too much. Just out of curiosity, what does he define as the "Middleboro Way". Can't wait to see what cause he chooses to defend next.

Don't mean to be a cynic, but it occurs to me that AB may be taking on some of these controversial cases pro bono because some of his antics as selectman may have hurt his billable business. But that's just idle speculation. At any rate, he seems to be a litigator who values the letter rather than the spirit of the law. Defending a pitbull who gutted another animal?

IMHO this has everything to do with sweet revenge. If Town Council had not blathered on several months ago about the plowing situation in response to the DPW proposed changes this issue never would have surfaced.

Adam "Exit Stage Left" Bond sat on that board for years and said nothing. Now that he has opted out he becomes a local version of James Madison lecturing us humble peasants on the tenants of democracy and how this case seems to rank in his own Valhalla of righteousness. Using the veteran card was despicable. It is all about MiMi, Rogers, Spataro or who knows who else.

The case was a slam dunk and the town knew it. The judge initially saw it for what it was and that is a minor spat. Town would stop plowing in early April, take it under advisement, then split the difference and stop it in March. Nope! Injunction time! What goes around comes around when you treat neighbors like third rate dips**ts.

Went running with BB today and asked when he is going to link to this blog? I mean he links to a pile of worthless crap and this one is certainly as worthless or even more so than any of those.

I also asked BB to post here instead of relying on second hand (not Scott Brown's hand) information when a few of our over zealous posters actually call him out. Don't whine to me! To take a quote from the purveyor of the second greatest blog in Middleboro - "Man Up!" After all from what I gather I occasionally post - as does Suo - on his site. Heck....even Blogger Shark will occasionally post here.

I was raising my standards and reading another blog....one by a famous constitutional lawyer and expert Erwin Chemerinsky. No...sorry...not him. Our local expert. As I scanned down to the bottom to the comments section I saw this figure with a knife in its back. What did this represent? The BOS? Gibbs Road residents? Casino groups? The Middleboro Way? Walking out on voters? Then I realized it was actually part of the NEXT post. My bad.

Obama is way too stubborn to back down or slow down to study alternatives for his healthcare fiasco. He's a one note Johnny.....push, push, push....like a religious zealot. I guess the man's enormous ego just can't take being wrong on anything. Is there anyway for me to take my vote for him back? Boy did he pull a major PR con job on the American people. We have a guy incapable of relenting to a huge public mandate. I don't trust him, Pelosi, or any of his bottom feeders.

Bogo I saw you went back to play with second best blogger. My tolerance for his blind rhetoric is next to nil. BB's latest poster calling him out shredded him like confetti. At first I felt kinda sorry because BB was unable to process what was written, but then I laughed.********************

All these blogs are worthless. You got that straight from the get go. Your 300 or so posters just find the stuff amusing. They are satirical about bloggers taking themselves wayyy too seriously and sprinkle in some serious commentary.

Look at all the important people with blogs and how they link together like a STD convention.

DB I certainly feel your pain as I was ready to use the crayon and connect to Obama. Unfortunately he signed on with of the myriad of bailouts and I tossed him aside. But, hey, I voted for JP once so that is my mulligan.

Stupak is a man of principle. The Democrats are not fighting with the Republicans, they are infighting with each other. Americans are really learning how stuff is done DC. I do not know of any politician against health care reform. The 2,000+ page mish mash montrosity of legislation speaks volumes.

I thought Obama was going to focus like a laser beam on the economy. Instead he his again reverted to hammering the nation with health care (albeit very important.) The people have spoken. They want the the thing scrapped and and a total re-do. Most of us little folk would be willing to wait for another year for a reasonable document.

Hope and Change? Obama has clearly changed his mind on stopping politics as usual. Two years ago he was totally against reconciliation, lobbyists serving in the cabinet and lack of transparency. I just hope he changes his mind and listens to the people between Washington DC and San Francisco.

Reading the Gazette today it appears that school staff is not very fond of the proposal to consolidate classrooms. This proposal is also being funded by stimulus money and that portion escapes me as to how this actually creates jobs? This appears to be spending money or you lose the money and that ties into the recent post by Suo on health care. If this is how money is to be spent I can just imagine what will be done with management of health care with government leading the way. The Republicans got this right. Start over.

I also fond the letter by Charlie Shea informative. Ditto to the letter by a former educator who has some questions regarding the proposed override.

31,000,000 million uninsured. People losing everything over illness. Insurance dropped or unavailable. The poor flood our emergency rooms. These are a few of the talking points that the administration puts forth with health care reform. These are facts that under investigation prove legitimate or as close as possible to it. This is the emotional blackmail approach that I personally find so offensive. I guess that makes me just some typical heartless, right wing. Rush loving, full scale wing nut. I disagree.

The health care issue is a significant problem and a quick up front fix does not address long range consequences. Can the cure be worse than the disease? One point Obama and some Democrats have made is pass it now and tweak it later. Does any reasonable individual besides his blinders on cheerleaders actually expect the administration and their minions to accomplish that? Would anyone trust them after the way this whole situation was handled? Folks want reform but they do not what reform based on political expediency and whim.

I had occasion to visit the Con Com Meeting tonight. Those meetings are virtually never attended by the general public. Allin Frawley was there sitting and listening.

IMO, he started out as an anti complainer and instigator; but has morphed into an astute listener and learner. He seems committed to taking the crash course on all the Clarking stuff that comprises Town Government.

Soon there will be slots parlors and casinos in Massachusetts. This is called a viable entertainment option and it exists throughout the country. Massachusetts has already embraced gambling with a state run and multi state lottery. Casinos in nearby Connecticut and Rhode Island are littered with Massachusetts residents spending dollars that are siphoned away from our economy.

USS has failed. CFO has failed. Their message is one that is viewed as a fringe element. I had hoped for a local casino but that has dimmed primarily do to the incompetence of the Tribe.

For supporters of gaming and job creation this is a wonderful day to realize that the Legislature finally got the message.

Suo. I saw the potential cost of Cape Wind in The Herald today - 10B! I like the idea of wind power but at that price? Lead me to a peat bog.

I posted the following on another site - the 4,563rd best blog in Middleboro.

The question is not if expanded gaming will come to Massachusetts but what form it will take when it arrives.

The state sponsors gaming in lotteries and race tracks. This is just another extension. The reason it exists is people want it. If they didn’t all its various forms would be dead in the water world wide. Tax it. Regulate it. Educate about it. Enjoy it. Live with it.

All the safeguards put in for degenerate gamblers are a joke. This is conscious clearing feel good legislation. They want their fix they’ll find it. You get gaming you will get that fall out. Guaranteed.

I have been to dozens of casinos in probably ten or more states. I have written on my experiences especially on a site I was shunned at. Hal’s posted them. LL has posted them. I’ve posted them. What I can say is that it is my opinion that the anti’s have over stated their “facts” and the pro’s have understated their “facts.”

I’m a NIMBY but like BB I am a NIMBY with a price. That price was not even close to being negotiated nor will it ever be. IMHO the Middleboro gin mill is dead.

The Raven was symptomatic of what you get with gaming. This is the domain of the pinky ring set. They can fly jets and have an Ivy League pedigree but so did Madoff.

From what I have been able to gather regarding wind power is that you really need optimum conditions to make it as energy producing as possible. Now a proposal has been brought forth to make a land swap so that the town can have a desirable site for a new police station and someone can use the town owned land for a potential wind farm.

I imagine that the land in question is off the tax rolls and the St. Luke's site is not. I am also making an assumption that eventually this will balance out regarding taxes with the police station being exempt and the land swapped being taxable.

Obama is looking pathetic with his "Please, please pass my signiture healthcare bill or I'm gonna have a hissy fit". The electorate is speaking very loud and clear.....scrap the whole darn thing and start over from scratch.

I'm trying to determine what the current administration has accomplished. The significant issues to me are jobs creation, economic stability, war, and health care reform. So far I see nothing that makes me feel confident they are going in the right direction.

I feel that health care was the most significant item on their agenda and much of what was proposed I would agree with but the methods used and the questions left unanswered sent up the caution flags.

I can see the next twelve months being crucial to the nation and the administration and just maybe President Obama will be able to get his agenda modified and back on track.

I sit here this morning waiting for KC tickets to go onsale. WTC! This is the last team in MLB to issue single game tickets. They are next to last in attendance and they wait until the end of the first week in March?

The CBO just updated the cost of the deficit and another trillion or so is added on and the 767B bailout is now up to 862B. I always thought that Bush was a nightmare with his spending initiatives with both a Republican and Democrat Congress. But now? My worry is pensions as some have no or limited COLA. Think of what Carter type inflation will do to that?

Maura Healey

Super Hack

Hack Hall Of Fame

The AG has just come out looking for a target after The Boston Herald "outed" Healey on her track record of travel expenses. So exactly what did this "hack" do to instill such ire in Bogo? Draft kings!

Draft Kings is an online gaming site that is used for sports fantasy players and fantasy sports is a huge business. Fantasy is also gaming since your success depends on an unknown outcome.

The hobgoblin of liberalism is hypocrisy. Not sure of the pundit who should get credit, but, alas, I am too lazy to look it up. And Healey is an up in lights liberal.

This state has a lottery and is now the birth place of one casino with many more in the waiting room. I can gamble illegally whenever I want since bookmakers are as common as ticks. But to this hack the target is now fantasy sports? LMAO!

For a note on this issue I do not play in any fantasy leagues of any kind. Never have and never will. I wonder in Healey does? Maybe a deeper check into her expense reports will tell.

director of the Bureau of Environmental Health

director of the Bureau of Environmental Health

director of the Bureau of Environmental Health

Your Government Hard At Work

Deval Patrick just lingers on like a migraine headache.

Now it appears his administration had some type of off the grid slush fund that was funded by various departments via creative accounting. Most of the cash was used for travel expenses and other incidentals that the payroll patriots could scrounge.

This, I imagine, will constitute his legacy.

Patrick also was on the take for $7,500 a day from an Olympic Committee formulated to proselytize for this next Big Dig. When Patrick was "outed" that was the end of that cushy gig.